The Agenda

Thousands of family carers are cutting back on essentials like food and heating in order to make ends meet, while also spending hundreds or even thousands of euro privately on vital equipment such as wheelchairs and supports that they say should be publicly funded. That’s according to a new report from Family Carers Ireland, based on a survey of around 3,000 carers, which highlights growing financ...

Government TDs will not be granted a free vote on Dáil motions calling for the Republic of Ireland's upcoming Nations League match against Israel to be cancelled. While the FAI is expected to move the October 4th fixture at the Aviva Stadium to a neutral venue, that has not gone far enough for some opposition parties. Sinn Féin is bringing a motion before the Dáil today calling for the game to be...

Yesterday on The Agenda, we heard about how after weeks of discussion and consultation, two major concerts at Slane Castle this July were officially given the green light.  Meath County Council confirmed that an event licence has been issued to organisers MCD Productions, despite concerns raised by local residents about traffic management, road closures, access arrangements and the impact the...

Aontú has launched a campaign against the EU Migration Pact, arguing that it would reduce Ireland's control over migration policy and leave the State bound by EU decisions on migration numbers and costs. The party says the pact fails to address the movement of asylum seekers entering Ireland through Northern Ireland and comes at a time when housing, healthcare and other public services are already...

A new law is set to require social housing applicants to prove they are both lawfully resident and habitually resident in Ireland before they can access social housing supports. The Government says the move is aimed at providing greater clarity around access to social housing supports, but the proposals are already generating debate about who will qualify and how the new rules will be applied in p...

Thousands of people across parts of County Meath were left without water over the weekend following a major burst on a water main serving Duleek, Stamullen, Donore and surrounding areas.  For many households and businesses, the disruption caused significant inconvenience, with residents forced to rely on alternative water supplies for essential daily needs. This morning on The Agenda we spoke...

Serious concerns are mounting over reports that vulnerable children in Drogheda and across County Louth are being targeted, groomed and drawn into the orbit of organised drug gangs. Fears are growing that criminal networks are actively exploiting young people, using manipulation and pressure to recruit them into drug-related activity, with devastating consequences for their safety and future. The...

After weeks of discussion and consultation, two major concerts at Slane Castle this July have officially been given the green light. Meath County Council has confirmed that an event licence has been issued to organisers MCD Productions, despite concerns raised by local residents about traffic management, road closures, access arrangements and the impact the events could have on daily life in the v...

A major pollution incident on the River Glyde in County Louth has resulted in the deaths of more than 20,000 fish, with dead trout, salmon and other species found along stretches of the river. The incident has shocked local anglers and residents, who fear the environmental damage could take years to reverse. The River Glyde is an important natural habitat and fishing resource in the region, and co...

Fianna Fáil MEP Cynthia Ní Mhurchú is calling for the introduction of stricter measures aimed at improving road safety, including a potential night-time curfew for novice drivers and the use of AI-enabled cameras to detect mobile phone use and seatbelt offences. She says road safety figures are moving in the wrong direction, with young drivers particularly at risk during night-time hours, although...

An estimated 318,000 Irish homes watched the Champions League match final on illegal dodgy box streams, new figures provided by Gaming Compliance International have revealed.  The company traced illegal streaming to 318,000 unique Irish IP addresses, with a total of 1.2 million views of 90 seconds or more on an illegal stream.  By contrast, an estimated 434,000 watched Arsenal play Paris...

The EU is being accused of taking an "ICE-like" approach to immigration. Justice Minister Jim O'Callaghan was in Brussels yesterday to discuss migration issues with his European counterparts. It follows an EU decision earlier this week, which allows member states to send migrants who've been ordered to leave the country to “return hubs” outside the bloc Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for m...

New figures show a “massive” increase in the number of incidents recorded at IPAS centres throughout the country, and indicate a concerning trend of “transferring bad actors from one location to another”, Aontú leader and Meath-West TD Peadar Tóibín has said.   He has described the trend as a “massive increase” and has raised concerns about what he claims is the “transferral of bad actors fro...

With First Holy Communion season now concluded, attention is turning to the role the tradition continues to play in modern Irish life and whether it will remain as central in the years ahead. New census figures show a continued decline in the number of people identifying as Roman Catholic, prompting wider reflection on how religious traditions are evolving in Ireland. Dr Maedbh King of Trinity Col...

Local Councillor in Navan Alan Lawes says protests will continue outside Meath County Council offices following demonstrations that took place there last night over the handling of a case involving a woman seeking emergency accommodation. Councillor Lawes says he spent the night inside the council building alongside the woman, claiming she had been refused emergency accommodation and left without...

One of Ireland's leading addiction treatment providers is warning that rising health insurance premiums and shrinking levels of cover are making it increasingly difficult for people to access vital addiction services. Smarmore Castle has responded to the latest Health Insurance Authority report, which found that average premiums increased by more than 10 per cent last year, while many policies off...

A major investigation is underway following a significant fish kill on the River Glyde in County Louth, with Inland Fisheries Ireland and the Environmental Protection Agency working to determine the cause. The incident, which occurred in the vicinity of Tallanstown, has affected a considerable stretch of the river. Fisheries officers have discovered a number of dead fish species, including adult a...

Earlier on in the show we heard about how a man stabbed to death off Grafton Street in Dublin’s south inner city tried to flee from his killer but was pursued for a distance before being caught and wounded several times. The man, named as Qayyum Balogun, collapsed on Clarendon Street and could not be revived, with his killer escaping before gardaí arrived. Gardaí believe his killing was part of a...

The Government has been accused of “hiding behind” the FAI over its position on the Republic of Ireland’s upcoming World Cup qualifier against Israel in October. Minister of State for Sport Charlie McConalogue said the decision to proceed with the fixture rests with the FAI, adding that the Government respects that position. He also confirmed he will not attend the match, but warned the associatio...

Dublin is “becoming a much safer city” despite a fatal stabbing in the city centre over the bank holiday weekend, according to a local councillor. Fianna Fáil Councillor Rory Hogan made the comments following the death of 21-year-old Qayyum Balogun, who died after an assault in the early hours of Monday morning. Councillor Hogan described the incident as “deeply disturbing” and urged anyone with i...

A 21-year-old man who was fatally stabbed in Dublin city centre has been described as an “innocent soul” who was “murdered in cold blood”. Qayyum Balogun, a Maynooth University student and club promoter from Dundalk, died after being attacked on Clarendon Street in the early hours of Monday morning. He had been attending a rap gig near Grafton Street when an altercation between two groups spilled...

Louth County Council is preparing to launch a new tourism strategy, with the aim of establishing the county as a distinctive and high-quality destination for visitors from both Ireland and abroad.  The strategy, which was presented to councillors at the local authority's May meeting, has been described as ambitious and has received broad support from elected members. Among those welcoming the...

Tensions in Slane over this summer’s two-night Luke Combs concerts have eased following a possible breakthrough deal between residents and promoters MCD. The row had centred on community compensation, after initial offers of €10,000 and later €30,000 were rejected as insufficient for the expected disruption to the village during the event. Local representatives, including Foreign Affairs Minister...

A generational smoking ban should be considered as the number of people giving up cigarettes has plateaued, with 13% of adults still smoking on a daily basis. Sunday marked ‘World No Tobacco Day’, with concerns raised around the negative impact the habit has on smokers, their families and the health service. Fine Gael Cork North Central TD Colm Burke has called on his party colleague and health mi...

The case of Dundalk man Seamus Ludlow was raised once again in Leinster House this week, as the 50th anniversary of his murder was marked on May 2nd. Louth TD Ruairí Ó Murchú used the opportunity to call for a meeting between the Ludlow family, the Minister for Justice and the Garda Commissioner, saying the family has been failed for decades in their search for answers. Addressing Taoiseach Micheá...